The Only

The Night Before

"It has to be flawless for her. I won't accept anything less than the absolute best, David. She damn well deserves it and so much more."

"Yeah, I understand, she does. But so do you. Go easy on yourself, sweetie, it's gonna be great. Do you wanna know why? Because she's marrying YOU." The military veteran pointed his index finger, lightly touching his stepdaughter's shoulder. "She loves you more than anything in this world. That's been clear since I first met her. Damn, reminds me of the time when she took the blame for that joint in your room." The man with the ponytail chuckled to himself then continued. "Anyway, Victoria said she's not stressing out at all about tomorrow, take that as a very good sign. It means most of the theatrics and ceremonial crap doesn't really matter much. She just wants to be with you."

"Thanks, David. If one thing goes wrong, though, I might flip my shit. She's fucking cool as hell not worrying about most of this, and she shouldn't have to, but it has to be the greatest experience of her life. Do you know how much pressure that is? Every little thing must perfect."

"It'll be fine, Chloe. Don't go doubting yourself. As you get older, you'll realize that experiences are all that matter anyway. Spending time together and sharing moments are the most valuable things in the world. You know her better than I do, but it's obvious she's head over heels in love with you. It's gonna be fine."

"You're right. I've just fucked up a lot of shit in my life, and I can't mess this up. Kristen and Fernando literally RSVPed early this morning, and before last night, we didn't have an officiant. That's cutting it too damn close." The blue-haired girl was anxious and nervous. She and Max divvied-up the responsibilities, and she felt hers were being held together with loose tape.

The previous woman who agreed to officiate dropped out the week before. Chloe didn't tell Max because it was her responsibility and she didn't want to put additional stress on her fiancé. She contacted a dozen random individuals that she found online, then she remembered what she saw in the first dreamspace window. After a little digging, she realized the man was Brody Holloway, a travel blogger who had already confirmed his attendance at the wedding. He quickly agreed to perform the ceremony, as he had recently been ordained in the state. They were supposed to meet with him a week prior to discuss the ceremony, but he had to cancel because of car trouble. She was putting her faith in a man she knew little about and hoped it would all come together.

"He's right, you know," a middle age brown-haired lady agreed, stepping from around the corner in the hotel lobby. The engaged couple met the woman when they visited David in the desert just prior to their gallery trip to New York. Karen had become her stepdad's travel companion over the last couple of years, and they had gotten pretty close. Chloe knew they weren't necessarily in a relationship, but they spent a lot of time together. David told her the woman had two sons who had gotten into some trouble at one point, and they came to see them at their commune as well. Besides those few details, she didn't know much about her. "As long as you're the one she's looking back at when you profess your love for each other, everything will be fine."

There was something about the way she spoke. Her voice was calming and full of worldly experience. If someone had to deliver bad news to her, she hoped Karen would be the one to do it. "I know you guys are right. But..." She paused momentarily as the phone in her vest buzzed, "... we're talking about Max. She's my person. This one moment in our lives will be remembered forever. I'll be damned if I let something go wrong." Walking away from the group, Chloe answered the call. "Ryan? What's up?"

"Chloe," Max's father began, "I don't know how to tell you this, but Max is... uh... well, she's missing. That is, unless she's with you."

"What do you mean she's missing? No, she's not here." The girl's heart sank from her chest to her stomach as terror choked through her mind. Max was staying at her parents' house while Chloe was staying at the hotel her stepfather and Karen had reserved. The girls knew it would be a strange night being apart; they hadn't slept in separate beds since before the first storm week, but Max wanted everything to be as traditional as possible.